gabby1944
12-06-2007, 06:24 PM
I am a type 2 diabetic, my glucose levels are under tight control. My current A1c is 5.5. I am 63 years old and am overweight. I do not have high blood pressure. Today it is 114/74 and that is about usual for me. My doctor however insist I need medicine to " protect my kidneys " even though all my blood work and a 24 hr. urine test say they are working perfectly. He has tried me on 3 different meds. and 2 of them caused horrible coughing and 1 caused severe leg cramps. Now he wants me to try Altace. Have any of you ever heard of taking these meds when there is no clear indication for them? Considering their awful side effects why would he prescribe something like this for me?
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flowergirl2day
12-07-2007, 12:24 AM
Hi, :)
Some doctors put all their patients with diabetes mellitus on this medication. My husband has DM2 and takes Ramipril/Altace.
ACE inhibitors and ARBs have been shown to reduce the progression of nephropathy. Besides providing protection from, or slowing down a kidney disease, they also help protect against heart attacks, strokes and atherosclerosis. Some people with diabetes develop these cardiovascular complications. A percentage of people with DM will develop diabetic nephropathy. The onset demonstrates itself by protein leakage, decreased GFR and an increased blood pressure. This is why the kidney function is so closely monitored in diabetes, even in the absence of kidney disease.
I guess you'll have to weigh the potential benefits of taking this (or any other) medication against the potential cardiovascular disease risk factors present. Having diabetes alone puts you into a high risk category - being overweight is another risk factor. A lipid imbalance is another contributor to CVD. If you smoke, the risk factors increase further. There could be several other risk factors present. Your doctor would have done an evaluation of CVD risk factors before starting your treatment.
In the end, the decision whether or not to take medication is up to you. You should discuss the situation and your concerns in detail with your doctor. He is familiar with your health profile and will answer any questions you may have. Good luck in making that decision! :)
flowergirl
Some doctors put all their patients with diabetes mellitus on this medication. My husband has DM2 and takes Ramipril/Altace.
ACE inhibitors and ARBs have been shown to reduce the progression of nephropathy. Besides providing protection from, or slowing down a kidney disease, they also help protect against heart attacks, strokes and atherosclerosis. Some people with diabetes develop these cardiovascular complications. A percentage of people with DM will develop diabetic nephropathy. The onset demonstrates itself by protein leakage, decreased GFR and an increased blood pressure. This is why the kidney function is so closely monitored in diabetes, even in the absence of kidney disease.
I guess you'll have to weigh the potential benefits of taking this (or any other) medication against the potential cardiovascular disease risk factors present. Having diabetes alone puts you into a high risk category - being overweight is another risk factor. A lipid imbalance is another contributor to CVD. If you smoke, the risk factors increase further. There could be several other risk factors present. Your doctor would have done an evaluation of CVD risk factors before starting your treatment.
In the end, the decision whether or not to take medication is up to you. You should discuss the situation and your concerns in detail with your doctor. He is familiar with your health profile and will answer any questions you may have. Good luck in making that decision! :)
flowergirl
famnd
12-07-2007, 03:11 PM
I would see a kidney specialist before going on any b/p med because of your current low b/p. Most b/p meds reduce diastolic b/p more than systolic which could cause problems for you. If you do decide to go that route, make sure you try one that doesn't have rebound hypertension if you get into trouble with it & have to stop it quickly. Get the pkg insert for the drug & go through the side effects as they pertain to your health history. Then you can make an intelligent decision by looking at the whole picture. Fam